The New Clubs

How the leading drivers work when it comes to adjustability

Tom Stites is standing in a throng of people milling about the Nike tent during demo day at the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando. Stites, Nike’s director of product creation, is espousing the benefits of Nike’s Covert, a new driver that the swoosh company has already placed in the hands of Rory McIlroy, the world’s best golfer. McIlroy, who signed with Nike in January, moved from Titleist and immediately put the Covert into play.

It is Nike’s most ambitious foray into the increasingly competitive world of drivers that can be readily adjusted to fit the swing of a specific player.

Standing behind the fitting bays where dozens of people line up to swing away with the Covert, which hit the market in February, Stites says the adjustable driver is perfect for the golfer who buys a club based on the perception of their ability, and can then tune it to their swing.

“People buy clubs based on their egos — and this will allow them to tweak the club without being unhappy about it or having to return it because they can’t hit it,” says Stites.

Nike’s Covert is the company’s latest attempt to crack the driver market, one dominated by TaylorMade. But every company now offers a driver that can be refined for a player’s specific ability — even Ping, which launched its first adjustable driver, the Anser, last year.

The new drivers make it easier for a PGA professional to find the right combination of club head and shaft for every player, from the 20-handicap Sunday dew sweeper to the scratch club champ. Every company is promoting some version of club fitting, and with good reason apparently. TaylorMade’s Tom Olsavsky, the company’s director of product for metalwoods, says a vast majority of players are not playing a club appropriate to them, with most drivers not having enough loft. Modern drivers are designed to eliminate spin, which creates drag on the ball and limits distance, and to launch the ball high, maximizing the time it spends in the air. That combination, coupled with improvements to golf balls in the last decade, has led to longer straighter shots by most golfers, Olsavsky points out.

“Eighty per cent of the people who walk in here end up with a different loft when they come out,” says Olsavsky, sitting on the range at TaylorMade’s facility in Carlsbad, California. “We believe when they go through a proper fitting they’ll hit it higher and farther. We need people to think about high launch, low spin.”

Interestingly, despite the adjustable configuration of most drivers on the market, experts are split on whether consumers should actually make changes in their drivers. Typically a golfer is fit by a professional who optimizes the driver and sets its specifications. Some companies have suggested golfers can then tweak them depending on conditions — for more run in firm conditions, or more loft for wet conditions.

But Marty Jertson, a senior designer engineer at Ping, admits that most players won’t alter their driver once it is set. “Once you are locked in, you’re locked in — at least for most golfers,” he says.

Regardless, Nike’s Stites says the latest generation of drivers is easier to fit and more intuitive for the golfer, making it easier for golfers to find a club that matches their own unique swing.

“I’m kind of a simple-minded guy to begin with,” he jokes. “We wanted Covert to be intuitive. We wanted 15 combinations and that’s it. We didn’t want you to goof the things up. You don’t need a chart or a wheel to figure it out. It’ll fit most of the people.”

The Best Big Dogs

With the price of a typical driver ranging from $300 to $450, finding the one that’s right for you is imperative. Most equipment companies will quietly admit you don’t need to update your driver every year — the gains you’ll generate won’t be that significant. Despite that, the ability to adjust every driver on the market means they should outperform previous generations for most golfers.

Titleist 913 D2

The follow-up to Titleist’s successful 910 driver, the 913 is designed to be more forgiving, allowing for greater distance on off-center hits. The club uses Titleist’s “SureFit Tour hosel” technology, allowing it to be easily adjusted. Shafts from 910 can be fit into the new club head as well.

Who is it for?

Better golfers tend to gravitate to Titleist. Don’t expect this new driver to change that, says Liam Mucklow, founder of Golf Lab, a training and fitting facility in Vaughan. “Guys who want to play Titleist come in and know what they are looking for,” he explains.

Nike Covert

Nike’s latest attempt to generate some interest from its drivers is bold. The club’s red head distinguishes it from others in the space, and the cavity back that is hidden underneath is intended to create high launch/low spin conditions. Hoyt McGarity, who runs Modern Golf, an elaborate club fitting operation in Toronto, says the club has been a surprise. “Some find the graphics a bit distracting, but the numbers we’re seeing with it are really solid for most players,” he says.

Who is it for?

Those who don’t mind a swoosh on the crown of their club and are willing to take a chance on a company that has made significant strides in recent years.

Ping G25

Ping first ventured into adjustable drivers last year with the Anser, and the G25, the high launch/low spin successor to the G20, uses some of that technology. The club allows golfers to add or subtract a half degree of loft on the standard drivers, which range from 8.5 to 12 degrees.

Who is it for?

The G25 has been one of the hottest sellers at Modern Golf, says McGarity. “It has a higher launch and more draw bias, which is great for a lot of golfers,” he says. “It is really a club that is most popular among avid players.”

TaylorMade R1

“One Driver that tunes to any loft, any look and any flight.” That’s the tag on this driver from TaylorMade, which has the largest market share of any company in the driver space. The club can be configured in dozens of ways, with seven standard loft options and seven face angle choices. The company says its new black clubface and white crown with grey/orange and black graphics is designed to promote alignment — but it has also been a great branding tool for TaylorMade.

Who is it for?

The R1 is already the most popular driver on the PGA Tour, and is the successor to last year’s R11s. Is it a huge step forward? Mucklow loves the adjustability of the club, but says he’s not convinced that it is a huge departure from TaylorMade’s last driver to hit the market.

Callaway X Hot

Callaway claims its new X Hot driver is 13 yards longer than its RAZR X driver. The company, which has struggled in recent years, says the added yardage comes from engineering advancements that make the clubs more lightweight than their predecessors as well as through “speed frame face technology,” that increases ball speed and stress distribution across the face of the club.

Who is it for?

Both Mucklow and McGarity lauded the X Hot, especially at its $339 price point in Canada, which means golfers can spend more money playing and less on their driver. “People don’t expect it to be as good as it is, but the numbers don’t lie,” McGarity says of players who have tested the club. “We’ve seen some pretty crazy numbers with it,” Mucklow adds. “Its adjustability is great as well.”

Cobra AMP Cell

Cobra’s latest comes in four different colours and utilizes the company’s “myflytm” technology that allows golfers to adjust loft to manage trajectory. The club can be altered from 8.5 through to 11.5 degrees.

Who is it for?

Mucklow says the AMP Cell might appeal to a golfer who doesn’t want to spend top dollar, but still wants to be fit properly. “With something from Cobra you’re getting the adjustability and if you put a really great shaft in it, you’ll get a great driver at a great price,” he says.